Beauty and Her Beastly Love (Passion-Filled Fairy Tales Book 2) Read Online Free Page A
Author: Rosetta Bloom
was locked.
Her father had said the beast lived in an enchanted manor. He had been right. She was afraid now. He had been here and disappeared. He had locked her in, made her leave without saying goodbye to her father. Made her leave all her things. Now it was time to cry. She leaned over in her seat and let the tears flow.
Chapter 5
Beauty lay slumped in tears for the remainder of the carriage ride. This would be her purge. She would cry it out here, and then she would go meet her fate with good cheer. Or at least with the realization that there was nothing she could do to change it. She was bent over, her head resting on her arms, still sniffling onto her sleeves when she realized the carriage had stopped. She sat up, dried her tears, and looked out the carriage window.
Before her was a huge manor, three stories tall and made of stone. It had a small rounded tower on the top left corner. It was so big and so immaculate it reminded her of a church, or a palace. Those were the only buildings that got such care and beauty when built. The sun was setting, and the building looked luminous, bathed in the orange glow of twilight.
This would be OK, she told herself. Instinctively, she looked around to gather her things to take with her, but she had no things to gather. The beast had made her leave with nothing, nothing but the dress she wore. It was one of her mother’s old dresses. Not one of the nicer ones — a red, one piece dress that had a decorative ribbon tied around the waist. Apparently, her father had sold the nicest ones for money, to keep them alive and eating for as long as they had. She wished he’d worked harder on farming the vineyard, on earning money there, instead of selling her mother’s things. Only, how could she say that? She had been there, and she hadn’t insisted on finding out about the finances or offering to help him. Instead, she’d gladly accepted his suggestions to read more and enjoy long walks nearby. She hadn’t bothered to wonder how they afforded their lives, when the weather had not been good the past two years. The grapes had done poorly. The ones that had thrived were magnificent, but most hadn’t thrived.
So here she was, with nothing but the dress on her back, being sent to be the wife of this beast. She took a deep breath, pushed the carriage door open and descended onto the path that led to the front door. As she approached the door, navigating two small steps to reach it, it swung open by itself. She stopped, startled by the magic that was another confirmation that this place was enchanted. Hearing of it was one thing, but seeing it in person was frightening.
She continued on, entering the house, slightly apprehensive. After she went through the door, it closed on its own. The entryway was dark. There was a chandelier above, but it wasn’t lit. She wished it would brighten up, and suddenly the candles of the chandelier sprung to life, flickering gently above her.
She walked further in, and to her right there was a doorway to another room. It was large, and had a fireplace with a roaring fire, some chairs and a sofa. This must be the room her father had fallen asleep in. It was as he described it. Large and warmed by the fire that roared quietly in the hearth.
She went to the chair that had a table beside it and looked for a plate of food, wondering if she would have the same experience as her father. But, when she walked over to the chair with the little table next to it, there was an empty silver serving plate set on the table. No food. She frowned. From behind her, she heard, “Beauty?” The voice was low, but gruff, almost like a growl.
She blew out, squeezed her hands tight, mentally bracing herself for what she’d find when she turned around. Beauty turned slowly and kept her lips clamped shut, so she didn’t gasp. What she saw was a large creature. He stood on two legs, but he was as large as a black bear. He was clothed like a man, like a
Her father had said the beast lived in an enchanted manor. He had been right. She was afraid now. He had been here and disappeared. He had locked her in, made her leave without saying goodbye to her father. Made her leave all her things. Now it was time to cry. She leaned over in her seat and let the tears flow.
Chapter 5
Beauty lay slumped in tears for the remainder of the carriage ride. This would be her purge. She would cry it out here, and then she would go meet her fate with good cheer. Or at least with the realization that there was nothing she could do to change it. She was bent over, her head resting on her arms, still sniffling onto her sleeves when she realized the carriage had stopped. She sat up, dried her tears, and looked out the carriage window.
Before her was a huge manor, three stories tall and made of stone. It had a small rounded tower on the top left corner. It was so big and so immaculate it reminded her of a church, or a palace. Those were the only buildings that got such care and beauty when built. The sun was setting, and the building looked luminous, bathed in the orange glow of twilight.
This would be OK, she told herself. Instinctively, she looked around to gather her things to take with her, but she had no things to gather. The beast had made her leave with nothing, nothing but the dress she wore. It was one of her mother’s old dresses. Not one of the nicer ones — a red, one piece dress that had a decorative ribbon tied around the waist. Apparently, her father had sold the nicest ones for money, to keep them alive and eating for as long as they had. She wished he’d worked harder on farming the vineyard, on earning money there, instead of selling her mother’s things. Only, how could she say that? She had been there, and she hadn’t insisted on finding out about the finances or offering to help him. Instead, she’d gladly accepted his suggestions to read more and enjoy long walks nearby. She hadn’t bothered to wonder how they afforded their lives, when the weather had not been good the past two years. The grapes had done poorly. The ones that had thrived were magnificent, but most hadn’t thrived.
So here she was, with nothing but the dress on her back, being sent to be the wife of this beast. She took a deep breath, pushed the carriage door open and descended onto the path that led to the front door. As she approached the door, navigating two small steps to reach it, it swung open by itself. She stopped, startled by the magic that was another confirmation that this place was enchanted. Hearing of it was one thing, but seeing it in person was frightening.
She continued on, entering the house, slightly apprehensive. After she went through the door, it closed on its own. The entryway was dark. There was a chandelier above, but it wasn’t lit. She wished it would brighten up, and suddenly the candles of the chandelier sprung to life, flickering gently above her.
She walked further in, and to her right there was a doorway to another room. It was large, and had a fireplace with a roaring fire, some chairs and a sofa. This must be the room her father had fallen asleep in. It was as he described it. Large and warmed by the fire that roared quietly in the hearth.
She went to the chair that had a table beside it and looked for a plate of food, wondering if she would have the same experience as her father. But, when she walked over to the chair with the little table next to it, there was an empty silver serving plate set on the table. No food. She frowned. From behind her, she heard, “Beauty?” The voice was low, but gruff, almost like a growl.
She blew out, squeezed her hands tight, mentally bracing herself for what she’d find when she turned around. Beauty turned slowly and kept her lips clamped shut, so she didn’t gasp. What she saw was a large creature. He stood on two legs, but he was as large as a black bear. He was clothed like a man, like a
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